January 6, 1999
KALAMAZOO -- Western Michigan University's hockey team (2-9-6 overall, 1-8-6 CCHA) resumes play in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association with a two-game series against the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Kalamazoo. The games are Friday, Jan. 8, and Saturday, Jan. 9, at Lawson Ice Arena. Both games have 7 p.m. faceoffs. This will be the first season meetings between the teams.
Last week
The Broncos snapped an 11-game winless streak with a 4-3 victory
over the University of Massachusetts-Amherst (Dec. 29) in Lawson
Arena. Matt Addesa scored the game-winning goal with 2:05 left
in regulation. David Gove notched a pair of power play goals,
including his team-leading seventh marker of the season. The following
evening, UMass freshman netminder Mike Johnson made 27 saves in
his first collegiate start to hand WMU a 1-0 shutout loss. The
Minutemen killed all 10 Bronco power play opportunities. The two-game
series was Western's first of the season against a nonconference
opponent.
Bronco notebook
The Broncos are down to five defensemen with the loss of freshman
Derek McKinlay, who left the team after being declared academically
ineligible for the second half of the season. With D Jeff Lukasak
sidelined by a rib injury, coach Bill Wilkinson moved forwards
Mark Wilkinson and Anthony Battaglia back on defense for the UMass
series. Despite their inexperience at the position, Wilkinson
and Battaglia were on the ice for one even-strength goal * G Matt
Barnes, D Geoff Collard and RW Chuck Mindel have been named assistant
captains on a permanent basis. Barnes is the first goaltender
in WMU history to receive such honors * WMU has averaged 7.1 penalties
and 17 PIMs over the last 14 games, reaching double figures in
penalties just once. Western's 143 total penalties is the second
lowest total in the CCHA * keeping to the philosophy that it is
as good to give as to receive, WMU's top line of Mindel (28-2856),
Addesa (8-816) and Jason Redenius (7-714) entered Saturday's game
with even numbers of career goals and assists. Just off the mark
was Western's second line of Gove (15-1429) and Frank Novock (40-4181)
* following this weekend's home series, the Broncos play five
of six games on the road.
Bronco Player of the Week
Freshman defenseman Austin Miller is the latest recipient of Bronco
"player of the week" honors following the UMass series.
Miller¢s 100-foot pass setup Steve Rymsha's goal on Friday.
He finished with a +1 plus/minus rating in the series. Previous
Bronco POW recipients: Dec 14 Ryan Crane; Dec. 7 Jeff Reynaert;
Nov. 30 Frank Novock; Nov. 23 Chuck Mindel; Nov. 9 David Gove;
Nov. 2 Jason Redenius; Oct. 26 Jason Redenius; Oct. 19 Matt Barnes;
Oct. 12 Jason Redenius.
Series information
When Western Michigan and Alaska Fairbanks last met, both were
closing out the 1997-98 season eliminated from playoff contention.
The teams split (4-4 OT, 8-1 WM, 4-1 UAF) in Fairbanks (Feb. 27-March
1). This time around, eighth place is on the line as Western takes
a 7-4-1 lifetime record into the series.
Scouting report
Alaska Fairbanks (5-12-0, 4-11-0) dropped home three games to
Michigan State (Jan. 1-3) at the Carlson Center. Sophomore Jim
Lawrence (6-814) and senior Chris Kirwan (7-310) head the Nanook
attack. Ian Perkins (4-8-0, 4.21 GAA) has seen the majority of
time in net. UAF is allowing a league-high 4.12 goals per game
while its power play for all games ranks last at 9.2 percent.
Head coach Dave Laurion owns a record of 74-112-8 in six seasons
at UAF.
Looking ahead
Western plays host to Northern Michigan next Friday (Jan. 15)
before traveling to Michigan Saturday (Jan. 16) in a contest being
televised lived by WWMT-TV, Channel 3 the CBS affiliate in Kalamazoo.
Western then flys to Troy, N.Y. for a two-game nonconference series
against Rensselaer (Jan. 22-23).
Media contact: Daniel Jankowski, 616 387-4138; daniel.jankowski@wmich.edu
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